Such a shame we hadn't been able to contact any of the Shevirat. Then again, although the System had rewarded me last time for completing the potion, the Quest had only finished when Di'at had stepped out of the mirror in class. That'd taken the professor using a serious amount of Energy. Something I didn't think I could recreate.

So we were on our own between the real Kadhi holding a stone and the professor arriving without Kadhi. Because with that stone in hand, Kadhi might not be able to leave here. We'd have to go without him--the real him.

The professor's eyes widened at seeing Kadhi. "What...? How?"

"Professor..." Kadhi's eyes glistened and he covered his face with his free hand. Was he not able to let go of it?

"What have you done?" the professor asked. Not in rage or fury like I would've expected. "No--nevermind. We don't need to know. Come on. We need to leave. This place is a trap designed to lure adventurers into making contracts with demons."

No shit, Sherlock. Did we have time for this? Garta, Rose, and RIla looked ready to bolt seeing Kadhi come out of his room, and the professor had done nothing to ease their anxiety. I started packing what I needed to gesture at them to get their things, and that seemed to snap them back to attention.

We left quickly after that. I expected the professor to ask Kadhi what had happened, but he didn't. Perhaps he didn't want us to know how much danger we'd been in or how he'd fucked up in warning us about the demons in the first place. His pride could be hindering his ability to say we were right about this place.

Instead, Professor Widhia explained what happened at the tower.

"The tower is as expected," he started. There were already quite a few people out on the streets with stones weighing them down. Kadhi looked at them in apprehension as we passed them, moving against the crowd.

"The first floor is full of traps that are easy enough to navigate. At the end, stairs climb to the second floor, to a hallway that leads into a chamber of primordial fire protected by flame soldiers--flameskulls and fire archons. I believe there is a third floor following the completion of the second floor, but I wasn't able to continue climbing."

"Why not?" Kadhi asked, voice frantic as if he had a guess but didn't want to be right. Must suck to be him right now. The only one who fell for the simplest trap of them all. Saying yes to a demon.

"Unfortunately, I was attacked by a demon with a familiar face." He looked to Kadhi. "After that, I decided to leave the tower and return to my students. We've overstayed our welcome, it would seem. I had hoped you'd all learn more while you were in here, but you've all proven yourselves quite capable."

We hadn't really proven ourselves capable. The professor had just proven himself incompetent.

"What ... type of demon?" Kadhi asked.

The professor smiled but it was tight. The crowd around us was thickening by the second. "No matter. Let's pick up our pace. We have the feeling we don't want to be out here much longer..."

Perhaps he had some sense left because he was right about that, though it was too bad he didn't want to tell Kadhi more about Eth'tar and how he'd fucked up. We were catching more attention than we ever had. Moving against the marchers was one thing, but that we didn't carry a single stone was another. Kadhi hadn't dropped his yet, either, so the likelihood that he could was low. I was still uncertain if he could really just leave like this after having made that contract.

"So there's something after the flameskulls and fire archons and we don't know what?" Garta asked.

"I would guess a fire lord of some sort," Widhia said. "The monsters before that point were not large in number and within the F-Class range. With my help and some strategy, this will be as easy challenge for you. Albeit still a challenge."

The tower seemed taller than three stories. More like five or six. Since it was at the top of the island hill, it was bound to be taller than anything else in the city. But it was at least twice as tall as any of the other buildings nearby. It was also in the middle of a courtyard, as if the central feature instead of a fountain with a pissing demon.

It was white like all the other buildings. DIdn't stand out with any intricate detail or a different architectural style. It was plain but beautiful, somehow uninviting and inviting at the same time. The entrance was just two big wood doors with black cast iron handles.

"Since this is still meant to teach you how to work in a team," the professor said, standing in front of the door, "I will not be helping you fight unless the situation is dire. As long as you work as a team, you won't have a single issue. So before we enter, I believe you should choose a leader."

Of course, the professor looked to Kadhi first. Indicating that he thought Kadhi should be our leader out of nothing but favoritism, clearly. I should be the leader since I knew what deep shit we were in, but I didn't need the professor to know that.

"Rose," I said. She listened to me. She was levelheaded. Everyone liked her except the professor for some unknown reason. Also I was sure everyone would easily agree. "I think it should be Rose."

"Same," Rila said. Her voice was firm and decisive. She sounded like she'd refuse anyone else as leader.

"Fine with me," Garta said. "Can we go already?"

"What about Kadhi's opinion?" the professor asked.

How far up Kadhi's ass was Professor Widhia?

"Who cares?" I said. "Kadhi is the only one who made a deal with a demon. He's the only one who's put us in actual danger. Including you, Professor. That's not being a good teammate."

"Ah, but not giving Kadhi the chance to make up for his mistakes wouldn't make a good teammate either." The professor turned to Kadhi again. "You want to do that, don't you?"

What the fuck was going on here?

"Yes," he said. He stared at the rock in his hand. "I want to be leader."

"No," I said. Why did the professor want to sabotage our chances of surviving this?

"Then I'll vote for myself as well," Rose said. She stood taller and stepped forward to level with the professor. Although he was our professor, she was still a princess. Her changed demeanor was her putting on an invisible crown. "That's four against two, even if we're including you, Professor, and as you said, we're the ones who will be doing the majority of the fighting. You also told us to choose. We've chosen. It's me."

Rila opened her inventory and pulled out a sword. "Now let's get the fuck inside the tower already. It's creepy." She sure had a way of ending conversations.

The professor deflated but held open the door for us to enter without protest. Rose and Rila entered first, Rila ahead of Rose with her sword. Then Kadhi went to enter, but he stopped right at the threshold. He began to shake. Knew it.

"Kadhi?" the professor asked.

The lizardkin looked at the stone and then looked at the door frame. With his free hand, he pressed forward, but his hand laid flat against where the door's surface would be if it was closed. The professor sighed.

"You can't enter?" The professor tested the door himself and found he could pass through and then studied Kadhi's stone finally. "Will you be fine on your own until I can send someone to help you?"

"Help with what?" Kadhi croaked. I had the same question. Who could help Kadhi now? At least the demon hadn't possessed him. Perhaps killing Eth'tar would be enough to free him.

But hadn't the professor killed Eth'tar? That would mean Kadhi should be able to enter if that was the case, but he seemed trapped still.

"There is nothing Caemor professors cannot solve," the professor said. "I suppose it's good you weren't made leader. You do have experience with leading, so surviving in a dungeon solo may be the better experience for you anyway. You'll be fine."

Kadhi shook his head but moved away from the door. Then something in him changed. A bit like how you can see the light disappear in someone's eyes when they die. One moment he was Kadhi, knowing he had to go but wanting to stay. Now his gaze was distant, his face vacant, and his feet were carrying him into the crowd. One step at a time. Marching with his rock. Trapped like everyone else.